My Personal Thoughts on "Prometheus"
There was a prequel to the Alien movies on the cards for well over a decade. At one time, even speculation (and completed draft) of an actual sequel to James Cameron’s Alienswhich involved the characters Ripley, Newt, Corporal Hicks and Bishop returning to an Earth rife with a fresh alien infestation. But after much negotiations, a story charting the very beginnings of the xenomorph lifeforms won out. The wheels staring turning down at 20th Century Fox and in 2012 we finally got our first standalone alien movie since Alien: Resurrection way back in 1997. But was the long wait actually worth the end result?
Set in the year 2093, a crew aboard the starship Prometheus set out on an charted expedition in search of extra-terrestrial life on the moon LV-223. More to the point, attempting to discover the existence of so-called “Engineers” who it’s believed were responsible for the creation of humankind. Mission director Meredith Vickers (played by Noomi Rapace) heads up proceedings as well as a synthetic android named David (played by Michael Fassbender). Once landed on the surface on the moon, several crew members are sent down to explore the barren, lifeless surroundings of their new habitat. They soon come across a cave exhibiting little to no light whatsoever. As the team venture deeper inside, they find strange cylindrical stone artefacts as well as an unknown headless alien creature. Whilst David takes it upon him to secretly steal one of these stone cylinders, which gradually begin to leak some sort of dark ooze, two other members manage to disengage themselves from the rest of the party and get lost in the black labyrinth. Shortly afterwards, they are attacked by something dwelling within, leading to them both being infected by a contagion much worse than anything they could ever have imagined.
With veteran director Sir Ridley Scott helming this project and also responsible for the original Alien back in 1979, the chances of a successful movie were great indeed. The one thing very evident from the very start is how authentic everything looks and feels. From the haunting score in the background to the spectacular visuals and design, there is no doubt we are watching an “alien” movie through and through. The atmosphere is gauged just so to slot you right back into the setting of the original masterpiece. Noomi Rapace delivers an exceptionally good performance as does Michael Fassbender playing the oddly placed android. Both stars are a large part of why this movie worked on so many levels. A special mention goes to Idris Elba and Charlize Theron for playing solid roles as supporting crew members aboard the Prometheus, but make no mistake. Their former two co-stars steal the show. The cinematography within the ship as well as on LV-223 is gloriously composed and shot. Sweeping camera pans of the vast moon add a sense of grandeur and isolation all at the same time. It’s extremely impressive stuff.
The story is one I feel may divide fans and critics alike. Without delving into spoiler territory, I thought the concepts implemented throughout the narrative, were very well executed. With so much lore and reference material to choose from regarding the previous entries in this popular franchise, they had so many different paths they could have taken. For the record, I do like and agree with the one they decided upon. The overall sense of pervading dread increases at a nice pace as they slowly decipher a few “home truths” about what is actually happening on the desolate LV-223. The final third act launches into a manic race against the clock as the action is intense and riveting all the way until its dramatic closing scenes. I was subtly glued to the screen for the majority of the movie. The creatures used in the film provide an interesting insight into the historical relevance they represent given what we know as the actual “alien” creature from the movies preceding it. This only goes to show how well things were planned out and thought through whilst in the script-writing and production stages. It all ties in quite nicely and fits snugly into the universe created by Sir Ridley Scott.
All in all, a really good movie with set pieces and music realised with a genuine passion for the franchise. If any problems exist in this movie, it could be a few slight pacing issues around the beginning and halfway mark, but again, these are fleeting as best. Prometheus was everything I wanted an alien prequel to be. Solid performances, terrifying creatures and an isolated setting featuring gorgeous otherworldly landscapes. Sci-fi at it’s best…
My Verdict: (9/10)
great work!
Great flick @ezzy - review sci-fi is MUCH more my style over super hero movies.
I, too, enjoyed this film very much. I often confuse the title with Pandorum though, hehe. Prometheus - Pandorum. Pretty similar names, right? :D
Maybe you should review Pandorum. It was another movie that the critics were meh about but I loved. I like the idea of colony ships.
Great minds, as they say! Lol, I'm happy you enjoyed this awesome movie too, man. Will be checking out Pandorum for sure, my friend. Thank you for stopping by! :)
Never actually watched this movies, but since I've seen your reviews of the movies I watched and absolutely agreed with 99% stuff you wrote, I guess the only logic thing I can do right now is to watch it :D
Thanks for the kind words, bud. If you're a fan of the original source material (which I hope you are) then you should be in for a treat. :)
As usual, good review Ezzy.
I should rewatch this one, I don't remember much of the plot. I know that I absolutely love the first 2 movies, especially Aliens, and this one didn't leave a mark on me as much as I expected. From a technical point of view it was awesome, but I felt like it was a tad too...I don't know, aseptic?
Anyway, as I said, I should watch it again, and I intend to, especially because Covenant is out and I need to refresh my memory :D
I hear ya, bud. I remember actually willing myself to not compare it to the others and watch it as independently of the rest as possible. After all, I do agree it cannot hold a candle to the two classics you mentioned but I feel they could have done a whole lot worse in their efforts.
I will be covering Covenant next. Thanks for dropping by, man. :)
Always, dude, I love your reviews. They're reasonably short and straight to the point, and I find them interesting even when I have different ideas.
I don't know if I have it in me to ignore previous chapters, though. I couldn't do it with Star Wars, that much I know :D
EDIT: By next you mean tomorrow?
Man, our taste in movies is really similar, I loved this one. A bunch of reviews came out hating, but there was almost nothing I disliked, maybe one or two elements of the story, I thought the ending could have been differently and turned out cooler, but it was still good. I even bought this one(5$ used bin but still haha).
That's great to hear, bud! I also read a few unfavourable reviews which is another reasons I wanted to give it the recognition I feel it deserves. It retains many of the elements I loved from the old movies as well as some interesting new concepts. I went in open-minded and left the theatre pretty pleased with what I had just seen.
Nice buy for $5 too! :)
Heck ya, I love how it kept the fear factor while spinning off of alien. You seen arrival? I'm trying to think of more awesome sci-fi. Interstellar was up there for me, despite any believability concerns
I liked it, too. I even watched it in the cinema when it came out. I really don't get the hate surrounding it. The movie really expanded the Alien mythos, and I like the ancient alien origin they did for humanity. In a way, that makes us feel more connected to the Xenomorphs. I haven't seen the sequel to this, but I'm looking forward to watch it when it comes out on TV. Fassbender and Rapace really did a great job with the roles they were given. Both of them really exuded the characters and they played off of each other very well.
Ditto, my brother! The reviews were so mixed that I wasn't exactly prepared for what I got. And to add even more irony, the follow-up sequel was the exact opposite. Great reviews but poorly received. The mythos they open up here paved the way for great things in the future. Though whether that actually happened in the sequel is up for debate. Though I do love Fassbender and Rapace as you do. Some phenomenal characterisation that really added to the intensity on-screen. :)
I've not really anticipated seeing this but my! Your review and verdict is tantalizing though, nevertheless, it's got so many negative review by a few people who I feel did not really key into the movie, I like the way you went about it, amazing rating really, I will see this soon
I would give it a go if you are a fan of the franchise, or even just sci-fi itself. They did a stellar job on this production in my view so don‘t listen to the naysayers, bud! See what you think from as independent a perspective as possible. :)
Well it's certainly amazing really, I will go for it, thank you for the eye opener
I watched Prometheus for or five times. It is one of my favourite movies because I'm a huge fan of Alien series. But some of the crew member deaths were just so gruesome and frightening! Film Director absolutely didn't spare anyone.
Wow! That many times! Well, I'm glad it left that much of a profound effect on you. And yes, mild deaths aren't a part of this franchise, lol. :)
Its strenghs overcome its shortcomings, which were blown out of proportion when released. Deep simbolism, good soundtrack and creepy scenes. It shines compared with its sequel Alien Covenant IMO.
Great to see we both appreciate the outstanding merits of this movie. Looking forward to reviewing Covenant next. :)
Sweettttt, now that's the review I was hoping for, or rather the rating and ending rave lol.
Hey there, lovely @dreemit! Yeah, it's a pretty damn decent movie so I do urge you to check it out. Otherwise, I hope things are sorting themselves out for you in your life. God bless you...